Egyptian constitution wins backing in first round

Dec. 16, 2012
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Zeinab Sayed Ahmed, 57, said she voted against the draft Egyptian constitution in the first round of a referendum because she is concerned it could restrict freedoms. / Sarah Lynch, Special for USA TODAY

by Sarah Lynch, Special for USA TODAY

by Sarah Lynch, Special for USA TODAY

CAIRO - A majority of Egyptians voted in favor of a final draft constitution in the first round of a referendum, according to unofficial results published in state-run media Sunday.

But a large portion of Egyptians voted against the draft, underscoring deep political divisions and threatening to leave Egypt unsettled in what has been a tempestuous transition.

"It shows that Egypt is divided and that there is a significant portion of the population now disaffected with the Brotherhood's rule and their handling of the constitutional process," said Shadi Hamid, director of research for the Brookings Doha Center in Qatar.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which propelled President Mohammed Morsi to power earlier this year, urged voters to approve the draft constitution in a two-day referendum, which will continue Dec. 22. The opposition rejected the draft and campaigned for a "no" vote after deciding not to boycott the process.

The draft constitution passed with majority support in areas outside the city, but more than 50% of voters in Cairo rejected it, unofficial results showed.

"That's significant in my estimation, and it's not going to settle anything," said Michael Wahid Hanna, with a New York-based think tank, The Century Foundation, and who is currently in the Egyptian capital.

Cairo, like the northern city of Alexandria, has been a center for the protest movement and has an outsized effect. The fact that the Brotherhood lost Cairo and that the constitution did not clear 60% approval overall leaves serious questions, Hanna said, but there is still a second round of voting.

Egyptians will cast ballots next weekend in rural areas where support for the Muslim Brotherhood is particularly strong, which could bolster the final "yes" figure substantially, possibly ending up in mid-60 percentage points, Hamid said.

Many moderates, liberals and leftists are concerned the final draft constitution opens the door for Islam to play too large a role and could restrict a range of liberties.

"I don't like the constitution, what it means for rights of women, press and media freedoms," said Zeinab Sayed Ahmed, 57, at a Cairo polling station Saturday.

"Of course we're worried about the future of Egypt," said her husband, Sayyed Hosni Debaty, who staggered on crutches through a long line to vote "no."

However, many others favored the document out of support for its contents, the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi, or because they desire calm after weeks of intense debate that devolved into violence.

Parliamentary elections cannot be held until a constitution is approved. If the draft charter does not pass, another constituent assembly would draft a new document, which again would be put to a referendum.

"I'm voting 'yes' for stability," said Makram Diab, a technician. "I don't want to wait for another period of time for a new constitution."

The weekend vote took place amid overall calm after weeks of a deepening political crisis that escalated when Morsi on Nov. 22 issued a decree that vastly expanded his powers. The decree protected the Islamist-dominated constituent assembly that drafted the constitution from judicial oversight after the assembly was challenged in court.

Critics viewed the decree as a power grab, but Morsi's camp framed the move as necessary to protect democracy and shield elected institutions from a politicized judiciary.

The constituent assembly approved a final draft of the constitution in a rushed session late last month, after almost all secular members walked out of the drafting committee. Rival protests unfolded over weeks, leading to deadly clashes early this month.

Analysts said stability is not ensured even if the draft constitution passes.

"In terms of the opposition saying, 'We lost, we're going to go home now. It's time to get on with everything else,' - that's just not going to happen," Hanna said.

Morsi and the Brotherhood will also face difficult decisions in coming weeks on a slew of economic issues that could force them to take unpopular steps, provoking further unrest, he said.

"There's too much coming down the pipeline," Hanna said. "It will cause some outrage, social dislocation and protests. â?¦ And the lingering battles over the constitution aren't done."

The opposition has long been a fractious and divided political cluster that includes liberals, leftists, secularists and revolutionaries. But they banded together in recent weeks against Morsi, his controversial decree and the draft constitution.

Khaled Dawoud, a spokesman for the National Salvation Front - the main umbrella of opposition groups - said they are not recognizing any results until they are finalized and Egypt's elections commission investigates complaints of widespread violations.

"This confirms that we did manage to mobilize the opposition against the Muslim Brotherhood and the constitution, and deny that we represent a minority in the Egyptian society," Dawoud said.